Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Heuchera  plant named ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’, characterized by its dark burgundy colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit, is disclosed.

Latin name of genus and species of plant claimed: Heuchera x hybrida.

Variety denomination: ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant botanically known as Heuchera x hybrida and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’.

The new cultivar originated in a controlled breeding program in Hem, The Netherlands during the summer of 2016. The objective of the breeding program was the development of Heuchera cultivars with heat tolerance, unique foliage coloration and a mounded growth habit.

The new Heuchera cultivar is the result of open-pollination. The female (seed) parent of the new cultivar is ‘Carnival Black Olive’, not patented, characterized by its dark green and dark burgundy colored foliage, and moderately vigorous, compact-mounded growth habit. The male (pollen) parent of the new cultivar is unknown. The new cultivar was selected as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the above stated open-pollination during May 2017 in a controlled environment in Hem, The Netherlands.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by in vitro propagation since May 2017 in Tenjo, Colombia and Bremen, Germany has demonstrated that the new cultivar reproduces true to type with all of the characteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed and retained through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following characteristics of the new cultivar have been repeatedly observed and can be used to distinguish ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant:

-   -   1. Dark burgundy and dark green colored foliage having a         purple-grey colored overlay; and     -   2. Moderately vigorous, mounded growth habit. Plants of the new         cultivar differ from plants of the female parent primarily in         having more deeply lobed foliage with a purple-grey colored         overlay. In addition the dark green foliage color is less         pronounced than in the female parent.

Of the many commercially available Heuchera cultivars, the most similar in comparison to the new cultivar is ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’, U.S. Plant Pat. No. 24,928. However, in comparison, plants of the new cultivar differ from plants of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’ in at least the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new cultivar have a foliage that is darker         burgundy colored than plants of ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’;     -   2. Plants of the new cultivar have a foliage apex that is         minutely apiculate and not broadly acute like plants of         ‘Carnival Peach Parfait’; and     -   3. Plants of the new cultivar do not flower readily under         standard outdoor growing conditions unlike plants of ‘Carnival         Peach Parfait’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show, as nearly true as it is reasonably possible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typical foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. Colors in the photographs differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed description, which accurately describes the colors of ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’. The plants were approximately nine-months old. The plants were grown for approximately 15 weeks in 1.7 gallon containers in an outdoor shade nursery in West Chicago, Ill.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of the overall growth habit of ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of an individual leaf of ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England, 2015 edition, except where general color terms of ordinary significance are used. The color values were determined in August 2021 under natural light conditions in Naperville, Ill.

The following descriptions and measurements describe approximately nine-month-old plants produced from in vitro plantlets and grown under conditions comparable to those used in commercial practice. The plants were grown in 1.7-gallon containers for approximately 15 weeks in an outdoor shade nursery in West Chicago, Ill. Prior to transplant plants were grown in liners in a poly-covered greenhouse in West Chicago, Ill. Greenhouse temperatures ranged from an average high of 79.5° F. (26.4° C.) to an average low of 68.5° F. (20.3° C.), and supplemental lighting was provided daily for five hours during short days. Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typical plants.

-   Botanical classification: Heuchera x hybrida ‘Carnival Burgundy     Blast’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female parent.—‘Carnival Black Olive’, not patented.         -   Male parent.—Unknown. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—In vitro propagation is preferred, divisions are             possible.         -   Time to initiate roots in vitro.—Approximately 10 days at             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted plantlet in summer.—Approximately             42 days.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Commercial crop time.—Approximately 6 to 8 weeks from a             rooted tissue culture plantlet to finish in a 10 cm             container.         -   Growth habit and general appearance.—Clump-forming             herbaceous perennial, mounded foliage.         -   Growth rate.—Moderately vigorous.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4a (−30° F. to −25° F./−34.4° C. to             −31.7° C.).         -   Size.—Height from soil level to top of foliage:             Approximately 22.0 cm. Width: Approximately 49.0 cm.         -   Branching habit.—No branching, basal rosettes of leaves on             petioles. Number of rosettes per plant: Approximately 5. -   Foliage description:     -   -   General description.—Moderately durable to environmental             stresses. Quantity of leaves per rosette: Approximately 16.             Fragrance: None. Form: Simple. Arrangement: Alternate to             whorled. Density: Dense.         -   Leaves.—Aspect: Blade is at an acute angle to nearly             perpendicular to petiole. Shape: Orbicular. Margin: Crenate             with few and shallow indentations, moderately lobed,             slightly wavy, ciliate. Apex: Minutely apiculate. Base:             Cordate, sometimes slightly overlapping. Venation pattern:             Palmate. Length of mature leaf: Approximately 11.2 cm. Width             of mature leaf: Approximately 11.7 cm. Texture of upper             surface: Dull, very weak rugosity, sparsely pubescent with             short hairs. Texture of lower surface: Slightly glossy,             sparsely pubescent with short hairs on venation. Color of             upper surface of young foliage: Closest to 187A with an             overlay of closest to N187D visible in areas between             venation, base of main veins of 184A. Color of lower surface             of young foliage: N186D. Color of upper surface of mature             foliage: Closest to 187A with NN137A and with a faint             overlay of closest to N187D visible in areas between             venation, base of main veins of 184A and 146B; darkening in             fall season to closest to N187A with NN137A and with an             overlay of closest to N187C visible in areas between             venation, base of main veins of 146C. Color of lower surface             of mature foliage: Closest to N186D with 187A and with base             of main veins of 147C; darkening in fall season to closest             to N186C with 187A and with base of main veins lightening to             155A.         -   Petiole.—Length: Approximately 16.5 cm. Diameter:             Approximately 3.0 mm. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color:             147C with an overlay of N186D, overlay is heavier on younger             petioles.         -   Stipules.—Two leafy stipules located at the base of             petioles. Apex: Acute. Length: Approximately 1.5 cm. Width:             Approximately 3.0 mm. Color: Closest to N186D. -   Flowering description: Flowers not observed throughout the growing     season. -   Seed and fruit production: Neither seed nor fruit production has     been observed. -   Disease and pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests     common to Heuchera has not been observed. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Heuchera plant named ‘Carnival Burgundy Blast’, substantially as herein illustrated and described. 